Thunder
by 3iris
Summary: An old love from Brennan's past shows up and complicates Booth and Brennan's attempt at a new kind of relationship. What secret is Brennan hiding that might jeopardize a future with Booth? Angela does her best to get things back on the right track.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first published story, although I have written many. I rated it as M because although it starts out rather fluffy, I have some pretty dark ideas in the back of my head for this piece. We will just have to see what path I decide to lead you down. I love to mix fluff and angst.

************************ Enjoy ***************************

Angela Montenegro sauntered over to the ledge where her long time friend, Temperance Brennan was focused on her conversation with the handsome man beside her. They were looking out over the crowded dance floor, obviously trying to escape the crowd. Angela couldn't help but notice that the two of them were standing very close, sharing meaningful looks, and exchanging familiar gestures.

"Hey sweetie. This place is fabulous. I can't believe you knew about it before I did."

"Angela, you know Blake. He is back in town this week to oversee the grand opening events. We are taking this opportunity to get reaquainted."

Angela smiled at him coyly. "Is that what they are calling it these days? Good to see you again, Blake. This is my fiancée Jack Hodgins." Jack stood awkwardly beside her, embarrased to witness her bluntness with regard to his bosses personal life. "Jack, why don't you and Blake go get us some drinks?" She gave him a look of warning before he could mention that their drinks were just refilled.

"Sure, because I love having to carry you up three flights of stairs to your apartment after you've had a few of those..."

When the men had left, Angela took a step towards Brennan, trying to look as formidable as she could while still holding a huge pink drink with umbrellas and fruit in it. Brennan knew where this was going. She took a sip of wine, and waited for the inquisition.

"Bren? What are you doing?"

"I'm having a drink with an old friend, at his new nightclub. You told me I should get out more."

Angela simply narrowed her eyes at her long time friend. "Don't be coy with me. You know what I mean."

"I don't know what you mean. I am out. I am having a good time."

"You are hiding."

"I am not hiding." Brennan smirked at her like she was speaking a foreign language. "I am actually doing quite the opposite. I bought a new outfit. I had my hair and makeup done. Anthropologically..."

"Sweetie, what happened between you and Booth when I interrupted you guys the other day? I definitely never got that whole story. You've been acting strange ever since."

Brennan subconsciously took a step back from Angela. "You need to mind your own business, Angela. Stop creating scenarios that are not there. We talked. That's it."

"He kissed you. Don't deny it. I may not have seen it, but its aura was definitely lingering in that room. How was it?"

"'It' was a mistake. 'It' is not going to happen again."

"Why the hell not?"

"Ange... I'm not going to chance destroying our professional relationship, or our friendship for something that is almost certain to fail eventually. It's not worth it."

"Are you sure about that? Remember, I was there. I saw the look on your face. That must have been one mind blowing, toe curling kiss." Brennan didn't say anything, but Angela could see that she was thinking about it. "You can lie to me, but don't lie to yourself. That kiss, that conversation, got to you. So much that you are hiding out with Blake..."

"Why do you keep saying that? What am I hiding from Ange? Who am I hiding from?" Brennan was challenging her. She was daring her to bring up the topic that Ange had been dancing around all evening, the topic that Angela and Brennan had sworn to secrecy over three years ago when Brennan made the move to DC and to the Jeffersonian.

"I've kept my promise all these years. I've lied to your friends, to our friends. I'm not going to break that promise, but I'm not going to pretend nothing happened, and that it is not still affecting the decisions you are making. You are scared of getting to close to Booth. You are scared that you are going to have to explain everything to him, and that freaks you out. So you are here...with a great guy who is going to think you are falling in love with him again. We both know you are not. We both know you are falling for Booth. That is not fair to Blake, or to Booth."

"Ange!" She turned and faced her friend. "Nobody said anything about falling in love with anybody. You have got to stop this."

"Why didn't you invite Booth here tonight?" She opened her mouth, and stopped when she didn't have a plausible reply. "You knew he would be uncomfortable. You knew he would be hurt. I never thought you were the type to sneak around behind your friends' backs." Angela turned to leave Brennan alone. She knew that if she pushed too hard, Brennan would just become more determined to not take her advice. "How much are you going to let him take away from you? You've ran away from one life. What is it going to be next? Booth? Your job? Your friends?"

Angela did not notice that the men had returned. Jack put a hand on her elbow, telling her it was time to back off. He gave Brennan a smile of apology, and led Angela back downstairs.

Blake slid back beside her, laying a hand on her back. "Everything ok? Angela seemed a little...worked up."

"Yes. She get's very emotional when she is butting into my personal life." She kept her eyes down, looking over the railing to the mass of people below.

"She's a good friend. Everyone needs those. I couldn't help hearing the end of your conversation. She thinks this is a mistake." He tucked her hair behind her ear so he could see her face. "Do you?"

"Honestly? I don't know. She thinks I am seeing you to avoid other things. She says I am only with you because you are comfortable, safe, familiar..."

"And that is bad? Listen, I don't know what to expect any more than you do. I know that neither of us will be happy if we can't get back 100% of what we had before. That is a pretty impossible task, considering what we have been through, and the new lives we have started. If right now, what you need is comfortable and safe, that is fine with me. If there is somebody else who can promise you more, maybe that's what we should be talking about."

"Angela is talking about Booth. It has been her endless crusade to get us together."

"And how do you feel about it?"

"We all work together. It is innappropriate."


	2. Chapter 2

Booth pulled into the parking garage of the Jeffersonian, not particularly looking forward to the confrontation that lay ahead. He had been dwelling on his conversation with Bones, and what it lead to, all week. She had obviously been avoiding contact as much as possible since that evening, only calling once when she needed to discuss paperwork for their last case.

He knew that Brennan and the squints were all together for a rare night out the previous evening. He refused Angela's invitation, knowing that Brennan would have asked him if she wanted him along. He thought the night away from work would be good for her, and would maybe give her a chance to think more clearly about what happened between them. He worried, though, that the more she analyzed it, the more it would freak her out. He knew that if anybody was going to address what happened, it was going to have to be him.

His mood was not improved when he saw the inhabitants of the car that pulled up in back of her sports car. He already had the door of his car open and was half out when he noticed them. It was too late to bolt.

He saw her get out of the vehicle first, with slightly disheveled hair, and wearing a slightly wrinkled party dress, and looking very tired. Blake walked around to Brennan's side of the car. They exchanged a few words. He was laughing at her, playing with her tangled curls. He kissed her on the cheek, and she fished in her small bag for her keys.

Booth slammed his door shut and stood up, walking past them without stopping, offering only a mumbled 'Good morning'. He walked through the main doors of the Jeffersonian, and straight into Angela's office.

Angela looked up from her computer screen to see Booth standing in the doorway. "I guess you have figured out that we have a little situation." She looked at him closer. "Are you OK? You look a little pale."

"I just saw Bones get back from her date."

"What? Just now? What do you mean?" She looked up at him incredulously. "Oh."

"He just dropped her off at her car...in last night's dress. Who is that guy, Angela? Where did he come from?" He ran a hand through his hair, and paced in front of Angela's desk.

"You may want to sit down for this one." He just stood looking at her, and she raised her eyebrows, indicating the chair next to her desk. He decided it would be easier to just follow her lead if he was going to get any information out of her. He sat on the uncomfortable chrome chair that she indicated. "He didn't exactly appear out of no where. His name is Blake. He is a musician. They used to be involved in a pretty serious relationship before she moved to DC. Things didn't work out, and she ended up here."

"How serious?"

"Four years kind of serious. Living together, buying a house, sharing custody of a dog kind of serious."

"Is he a decent guy?"

"He really is. I'm sorry. I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's the truth. They were one of those couples that everybody hates. You know the type...holding hands in the movie theater, dancing in the rain with no music while everybody stares at them like they are crazy but secretly wishes it was them. Buying presents all the time, picking wildflowers..." She rolled her eyes.

"I get the point." He stood up and went to the window, shoulders slumped. "Great. Just great. And what, he's on tour and he just happened to stop by and catch up?" He turned to stare at her. "This is your fault."

"Wait a minute. My fault? I didn't even know he was in town. Apparently he bought a nightclub downtown. He is here to manage the grand opening."

"See? You should have known this. That is part of your job as overseer of Brennan's social life. You should have warned me." He pointed at her accusingly, raising his voice mockingly. "Go for it Booth. What do you have to lose Booth? She is soooo into you Booth."

"Would you just focus on what I am saying here? He is a good man, but so are you. He actually _is_ you, only in faded jeans and cowboy boots. Talk to Brennan. You need to ask her about her relationship with Blake, and why it ended. Don't make it easy on her. If you don't confront her, she is going to keep following the path of least resistance...and right now, that path is Blake. There is a lot you don't know. Make her tell you."

"How about you tell me what I need to know, considering it's your fault that we are all in this mess."

"Hold it hot stuff, I wasn't the one doing the kissing. That was your idea. My opinions were out there for the taking, but you gave them your endorsement. And even if it was my fault, I am bound by the pinkie swear to not reveal what I know."

"Brennan did not make you pinkie swear."

"No, that was my idea, but it is still binding." He just looked at her like she had sprouted two heads. "Just go to her place. Bring Chinese or Thai or whatever it is that you two eat in the middle of the night. Don't leave until you get answers."


	3. Chapter 3

It was after midnight when Booth hovered outside her front door. He stood for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and finally knocked.

Brennan expected him. She had actually been waiting for him, surprised that it took him this long to come looking for answers. The intrusion into the silence of her apartment still startled her. She opened the door, and watched him as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Can we talk?" Suddenly he looked apprehensive; noticing that she still hadn't said anything. The thought of Blake actually being there hadn't even crossed his mind. "Is this a bad time?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't know how to tell you about Blake. When you were here, the other night, it was all so unexpected. Everything happened so fast, and then…"

"I kissed you. I'm sorry…" He grinned at her, raking his hands through his hair. "…not for kissing you….for the exceptionally bad timing. We should have talked first. I should have made sure we were on the same page." He tilted his head, watching her, and sighed. "Can I come in?"

She stepped out of the way, and he came in and closed the door behind him. "Do you want something to drink? I just made a pot of coffee."

"Coffee? You're making coffee at midnight?"

She poured them both a cup. "I thought you would have been here before now. It took you long enough. I was getting tired." They stood looking at each other, holding their cups. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

He cleared his throat and set his coffee cup back on the table. "Thanks…for reminding me of that, because that makes this so much easier."

"You're being sarcastic. You're mad."

"What do you want? It would really help me sort this out if I knew. If you want to pick up where you left off with Blake, if that's your choice, I can live with it. I won't like it, but I've been told he is a decent guy, and that he loved you…loves you. We can try to go back to the way it was before." His mouth was suddenly dry. She wasn't saying anything. He tried to swallow. "I can accept it, but it's not what I want. I want you. I want to go back to that night, and finish talking. I want to make new rules, and erase that stupid line. I want to pretend that I didn't screw things up by freaking you out with that kiss. More than anything, I just need to know what you want."

She put her cup on the table next to his. "How do you know so much about Blake?"

"I asked Angela." Brennan looked up at him, frightened. "She said there is a lot we need to talk about. She said that you are afraid to be in a relationship with me." He took a couple steps toward her. "You know what? It's too late. We are in this, and to make it work, we have to be able to discuss why we are moving forward with it, or why we are not. You have to be honest with me."

"I honestly don't know what to do. It's not fair, to either of you. You drew the line. You made it clear that us together was not an option. You changed your mind, but I already promised Blake that we would give it another chance, and see where things might lead. I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't want to mess up what we already have." She watched him process what she was saying. He looked defeated, but she knew he wasn't going to let it go that easily.

He took her hands in his, taking another step closer to her. "Fair enough. I still feel like I don't know the whole story. Something is holding you back, influencing your decision. That's fine, but at least respect me enough to tell me what it is. Angela told me to ask you about your relationship with Blake. She said to ask you what happened, why you left him. She said it would make things make sense."

"Angela tends to simplify things, make everything black or white..."

"That's what friends are for, clarity. We tend to get so wrapped up in our lives and problems that we just need somebody to make things less complicated. Why did you leave Blake four years ago? What happened that you would walk out on a relationship that had so much promise, and move a thousand miles away? What did he do, or what did he not do, to make you think the only choice was to start a new life?"

He was still holding her hands in his, and for some reason, she couldn't break the contact, couldn't get the space she needed to think clearly. Her senses were being overwhelmed by his proximity, his sincerity, his eyes watching her, and his touch sending warmth up her arms and through her body. "I left because... I needed to remember that I am in control of my own life, that I do not need somebody to fix me. I needed to remember that if I want to be fixed, it will be for me. At least that was my justification at the time."

He just looked at her. "That was incredibly vague."

She pulled her hands out of his, and took a step back, then another. She leaned back against the wall and sighed. She realized her hands were shaking. He moved in front of her. He put one hand on the wall on either side of her face, and leaned close. "There is something you have been keeping from me for nearly four years. That tells me it is pretty huge. You are afraid that if I get too close, I will discover your secret. That scares the hell out of me. I don't know how Blake fits into this, but I know he mysteriously shows up after we start flirting with this idea of us together." She could feel his breath against her face, and his warm brown eyes were boring into hers. Close to tears, she was afraid to say anything. His voice was barely a whisper. "Whatever it is, just tell me. We've always figured this stuff out together."

"This is different..." A tear fell down her cheek, and he caught it with his thumb.

His hand went to her face, and he touched his forehead to hers. "It's not. It doesn't have to be. We can figure out how to get past it."

She started to reach out to him, to wrap her arms around him, and bury her face in his shoulder. There was a knock at her front door. They both froze, and ignored it for a few seconds.

When he spoke his voice was barely a whisper. "No fucking way..."

She opened her eyes, and saw the hurt in his. Blake's voice drifted in through the closed door, along with another knock. "Bren?"

Booth backed away from her. She just stood there. She wrapped her arms protectively around her middle, suddenly cold. "Just a minute!"

He turned and headed toward her front door. "I guess you are saved by the bell." He was hurt, and wasn't bothering to hide it. "I'll be at home if you... I'll see you later." he opened the door and walked past Blake without a word.

She stood there with her hand over her mouth. Blake took in the scene, and realized that he had been right all along. He held out a hand to her, and she slipped hers inside. "Come here. Sit down." He smiled at her. "Do you still think I'm crazy? Tell me I haven't been calling this for the past three years." She just looked down at her hands. "I know when I've been beat."

She was still crying, and shaking. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You deserve him. He is a good man. You have to tell him about it. He will understand. It will make what you have stronger. That's the way it is supposed to work...when everything isn't all messed up." He touched a strand of her hair, and tucked it behind her ear. "He loves you. Let him help you."

"Loving him scares me. I don't want to lose someone else to it."

"You won't. Just be honest with him." They stood up, and he hugged her. "I am happy for you."


	4. Chapter 4

It was less than an hour later that he opened the door to his apartment, and she fell into his arms crying. He wrapped his arms around her, and held her tightly. She rested her head against his chest, letting the steady rhythm of his heartbeat calm her down. When she spoke, it was into his chest, her hands clenching the fabric of his shirt. "It was a long time ago. It should be in the past, but it's not. All of the sudden I am thinking about it again...and I hate it."

"I'm sorry, especially if it has anything to do with me... I mean, if I am the reason everything is resurfacing."

"Until you...until lately... I haven't had to face my fears. If somebody was getting too close, I just moved on to somebody who wasn't threatening to get into those corners of my life."

"I would love for you to be able to tell me about it, whenever you are ready."

"I just want to get it out of the way." She looked up at him with wide, frightened eyes, and a tear strained face.

"Let's sit down." He touched her back, and directed her to the living room sofa. "I have a feeling I'm going to need to."

Brennan sat down heavily, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. She let her head hang down for a minute, her hair spilling down over her face. Booth chose the ottoman which was situated directly in front of her. He sat facing her, his legs straddling hers. He let his hand rest on her knee, letting her know he was ready. "Do you know what scares me most? She looked up at him, checking his eyes for confirmation. "I am most afraid of going down this path, and then losing you. I've been really unreasonable about this in the past..."

"You? Unreasonable? Seriously?" He elbowed her playfully. She saw his eyes change, turning serious again. "If you really want this, we will fight to make it work. Just maybe...we will get lucky and it won't be quite as hard as you think."

She sat quietly for several moments. "I was raped, almost five years ago." She swallowed hard, not daring to look at him yet.

He felt his heart skip a beat. It felt like somebody punched him in the stomach. He watched her purposefully not looking at him. He touched her hair, tucked it behind her ear.

"Blake was there, in our bed when it happened. They made him watch, nearly killed him. We stayed together for almost a year after. It was horrible; silence, guilt, fights, police, lawyers, trials, counselors, therapists. I didn't realize how different we had become until after I left, and I could actually take a breath again. It was terrifying, suffocating, what we had become. You could never understand... how it feels to go from loving somebody to being afraid to be in the same room alone with them.. From not being able to wait until he would get back from a trip so you can make love again, to hoping shows are held over so we wouldn't have to fight about it again. From feeling safe in his arms to not being able to look him in the eyes."

He had to fight back the lump in his throat. "You're right. I can't even imagine what that would be like. I can say that I am so proud that you would be willing to take that risk again...with me." He moved to sit beside her. She still wouldn't look at him.

"I am still scared." Her voice was a whisper.

"Of what?"

"Of you..."

He barely heard her answer, but he knew he understood. He was speechless again. He turned in his seat to face her. "What?"

"Not so much of you... but of what your expectations will be." She finally looked up at him. She needed a confidence booster before she could continue. She was looking for help.

He shook his head. "You are afraid of something that I might expect from our relationship some time in the future. You are afraid that I am going to expect too much? I'm sorry. I don't understand."

"After it happened, everything became a huge accomplishment; moving back home, sleeping in our bed, sleeping in our bed together. It took weeks to be able to stand him touching me or being close to me. And I mean that literally, my skin would actually crawl when he came near me. Everything came back at an excruciatingly slow pace. It was months, several months, before I would even entertain the thought of discussing the possibility of some time in the future addressing our non-existent sex life."

"I wouldn't exactly consider that a promise, but it's someplace to start."

"After that it seemed like things were getting back to normal, or at least on the way to being normal. I was pretty pleased with myself. Blake had concerns. And that is where it all started; the beginning of the end. He was hurt that I wouldn't...couldn't let him...be on top when we were making love." She stole a glance at him, and as expected, he was fidgeting in his seat, uncomfortable with where the topic was going. "I'm sorry. I know you don't want to hear about this, but I'm trying to get to some sort of explanation." She leaned back against the cushions on his sofa, and dropped her head back. "I wasn't planning on it being that way forever, but I needed time, to adjust. We did it a few times, my way, as he liked to call it. He hated it, and resented the fact that I was basically telling him that I didn't trust him anymore. After a few times, he gave me an ultimatum. It's the old way or no way."

"You can't blame him for wanting back what you shared before."

"I wanted the same thing, but to me it was a process. His theory was don't draw out the anxiety, just rip the band-aid off. I couldn't do it. I wanted to, but I couldn't. So we took a huge step backwards. He tried to compensate with weekend trips to different cities on his tour, an island vacation, new bedroom furniture, a new bedroom, a new apartment in the city..."

"None of it worked."

"It was so frustrating to know that we both wanted the same thing. The more time that went by, the more helpless I felt. Finally, one evening, out of the blue, I decided I was ready. All of my anxiety was gone. I couldn't wait for him to get home. I was actually excited about it, and not dreading it. Of course, I set up the whole evening in preparation..."

"I have a bad feeling about where this is going..."

"Well, I didn't. I was in." She laughed at the memory. He smiled about her being able to laugh about it now. "Of course Blake was beside himself with relief that we weren't going to be celibate for the rest of our lives. It was going beautifully..."

"I am sensing a but...."

"I don't even remember thinking about anything, about it being a milestone, or about being nervous about it. I was just enjoying being with him. We were laughing and playing around, and all of the sudden panic washed over me, and I couldn't breath. I don't know where it came from, or what triggered it. I tried to get him off me, and he thought we were still playing. I yelled at him and he pulled back to look at me. Just as he did, I jerked forward to try to free myself, and my head collided with his nose."

"Oh no, you didn't..."

"I did. I broke his nose. It sounds funny now, but I was completely over the edge with panic, and then he started bleeding all over me and the sheets. I was fighting him, landing blows, getting us more and more tangled in the sheets, and he was trying to hold me down enough so that he could get up and get off me. We finally got apart, and we were just standing there wrapped in bloody sheets, and covered in blood and tears... I was shaking so bad I couldn't talk, and he was crying and his nose was still bleeding. Right there, I told him I was done. I was leaving. I couldn't do it anymore. He said we should get dressed, get cleaned up, talk about it when we calmed down. We never talked about it. I think he was as done as I was."

"That... is a terrible story. I was completely expecting a happy ending... which makes no sense at all considering where we are now."

"It's been over three years since I left, and I still have not been with anyone...that way."

His eyes widened, and he just looked at her. "What? What about..."

She interrupted him. "I'm not saying I haven't had sex with anyone since Blake. I mean I haven't let anyone get close enough, long enough, for them to find it odd that I always prefer..."

He pulled her upright, so she was looking at him. He considered what she was saying for a long time. "You are scared that you still will not be able to put yourself in a vulnerable position. You are scared that I am going to expect that of you. Maybe I will want that at some point, but right now it's not something to worry about. I understand why you are afraid. Thank you for explaining that to me.... but you know, I am pretty patient. I've waited over three years just to talk about it. Besides, my nose has never been broken, and I would like to keep it that way."

She smiled at him. "You say that now..."

"I don't know what to say without sounding corny, so I won't try. I just want to be with you, and I want you to want to be with me. All of the other details will fall into place."


	5. Chapter 5

"So where do we go from here?" They had been sitting on his sofa, not saying much. She leaned her head back against the cushion so she could see his face. "I mean... I don't really know what the next step is."

"I guess we just keep doing what we've always done, only now we don't have to try to hide what we are feeling. I think, even though this is a big step, it is actually going to make our lives less complicated. It's easier to just say what you feel, rather than screening it to make sure it's not going to come out sounding one way or another."

"We have to remain professional at work. There is always the danger that we will not be allowed to work together."

"Technically, they can't say anything. We are not breaking any rules. I'm not planning on bringing in slide shows if that's what you're afraid of." He flashed her a teasing smile, and she just shook her head. "You are not going to find a loophole out of this. No turning back."

She linked her fingers with his. "No turning back."

Over the next two weeks, neither of them ever threatened to turn back. They never considered their decision a bad one, but they were definitely having trouble making the transition to a more intimate relationship. They had a new case, so they were both keeping long hours in the field and in the lab. At the end of the day, they didn't have the time or the energy to focus on anything other than getting enough sleep to get them through another day. They would often have carryout at his place or hers, and then one or both of them fell asleep on the sofa.

The first time they woke up together, they had both fallen asleep on the sofa after finishing carry out Thai and wine around midnight. During the night, she had turned in her sleep to face him. Her leg had become entangled with his, her head resting on his chest, her hand laying on his stomach. She opened her eyes, realizing where she was. She raised her head up to see if he was awake yet, knowing it had to be getting late. He was watching her, smiling. "Good morning." He put a hand on her tousled hair.

She layed her head back down, and snuggled into his neck. "Morning... what time is it?"

"Six. We have a little time." He played with her hair, wrapping it around his finger, and picking up pieces that were scattered across his chest. "I can get used to waking up like this."

"Agreed. We really should have talked about this a long time ago."

He lifted his hips, and supporting his weight on his arms, hovered over her for just a few seconds. He was so close she could feel his breath on her face. "I guess we will just have to make up for lost time." He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her lightly.

She felt her pulse speed up and a warmth spread through her body. She took a shaky breath, and reached up to touch his face, feeling the rough morning stubble over his soft skin. He kissed her again, lips parting, each of them getting a brief taste of the other. She opened her eyes, her hand falling away from his face as he pulled away, slipping over the top of her to stand up.

She swallowed hard, dragging herself up to a sitting position, and wrapping her arms around her legs. "Where are you going?"

"Coffee. I'll make some while you take a shower first."

She followed him into the kitchen, and leaned against the doorway watching him move things around in the pantry. She came up behind him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Why don't you go take a shower? I'll make the coffee. You can drive me to my place, so I can take a shower there. I can't really go in wearing the same clothes as yesterday..."

"Right..."

"Is everything OK?" Her voice was quiet. "I'm sorry. I know I've made things...awkward."

He turned around, finding himself in her arms. He took a step back, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Don't apologize. Awkward is definitely not what I am feeling right now. I just want to take things slow." He gestured toward the living room. "That is not the way to do it." He grinned at her, running a hand through his hair. "I'm going to go take that shower now."

She laughed at him, and leaned back against the counter, as he started off towards the bathroom. "How slow?"

"We haven't even had a proper date yet."

"You're kidding right? How many times have we had dinner together, or watched movies, or..."

He raised his eyebrows at her, knowing she was being difficult. "That's not what I mean. You know, a real date. You get dressed up for me. I pick you up, maybe with flowers. You let me open your car door, maybe even pull out your chair. We eat, possibly dance, I take you home and kiss you goodnight. A date."

"You want to show off your charm skills. That's not necessary. I already know you are very proficient in that area."

"Maybe I want to show off my charm, and you, to everyone else."

"That is very..." She considered launching into the archaic nature of his statement, but reconsidered, knowing he was being sincere. "...flattering, but still not necessary."

He turned toward the bathroom. "Doesn't matter. We are doing this right. As soon as this case is finished, you and me are going on a date."

She called after him. "I don't get a say in this..." She found herself smiling to herself.

"A real one... with flowers", came the muffled reply from behind the closed bathroom door.

The rest of their week did not allow time for romantic dates, or late dinners, or much private time at all. The case was coming to an end, the most hectic and stressful time of the whole process. When it was finally over, the murderer was off the streets, and their was only stacks of paperwork to be completed, everybody could finally breath a sigh of relief. It was time to address the parts of everyone's life that is always put on hold for days or weeks while an investigation is happening.

Booth had picked Brennan up at her apartment that morning. It was almost ten o'clock at night by the time they wrapped things up at both of their offices, and were heading back to her place with dinner. She fished around for her keys, and pushed the door open with her hip, juggling an armload of files. She dropped the files on the end table, and Booth went to the kitchen to unload the bags of food on her table.

She saw the flashing message light on her answering machine, and absently hit the play button, sorting through mail while three days worth of messages droned on. Booth came up and stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. "Do you want to eat now? I can heat it up while you..."

He recognized what was playing on the answering machine at the same time she did. His hands fell away from her shoulders, and he took a step back. Her hands continued to flip through the mail in her hands, but she wasn't looking at the envelopes.

"Hi Temperance, it's Blake. I haven't been able to catch up with you lately. Could you please give me a call when you get this? It's kind of important. I will be here at the cabin for a couple more days, so... you know the number. Call me back. It's important. Love you."

**A/N: Boring case stuff... blah blah blah. Notice how I skimmed right over that? I'm all about interpersonal relationship stuff. I'm not really sure what this phone call is going to be about yet... I keep going back and changing what I have written for the next few chapters. I would love some input! **

**Oh, and it's been five chapters already, and I've refrained from the pathetic plea for reviews... but, please? Good or bad, I can take it. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

"Go ahead. Call him back. I will get dinner."

"It can wait. Let's eat first." He took another step back. She watched the emotions play across his face, and then nothing. He was shutting her out.

"Just call him." He picked up her phone and put it in her hand. He turned and disappeared into the kitchen.

He watched her tap her foot nervously while waiting for Blake to pick up. He could hear the conversation filtering into the kitchen. "Hi, Blake. I hope it's not too late, but you said it was important. Call me when you get this. I'll be up for a while."

She put the phone back in the charger in the kitchen, and picked up their plates, carrying them back to the living room. Booth grabbed two beers out of the refrigerator, and joined her on the sofa. They sat side by side, neither one saying anything. This kind of quiet was different, heavier than the companionable silence they were used to. Booth sighed, and wondered out loud. "Do you really think he has something important to discuss, or is he just having regrets?"

"I don't know what situation we could have that could be considered urgent. I always think that something bad has happened when I get calls like that."

"Or he could just be checking up on me, making sure I am treating you well."

"I doubt that's it, but if it is..." She elbowed him playfully. "...I will make sure to give you a good report card." He was unsettled by the call. She could tell that even though he was joking about it, her relationship with Blake still worried him. She turned to watch him, wishing she could do something to put his worries to rest. She decided that the truth would be the best medicine.

She took his beer out of his hand and set it on the table next to hers. "You don't believe that Blake and I are 100% over." It was a statement, not a question.

"100% is a big number. Not many things are absolutes."

"But they do exist..." She got up and stood in front of him. She leaned forward, putting her hands on his shoulders, and running them up the back of his neck, into his hair. "When I told you I wanted to explore a new relationship with you, I meant it, and I want it to work. I would have never made that promise if I wasn't 100% prepared to do everything I can to make that happen."

"There is that absolute again."

She lowered one knee to the cushion next to Booth's leg, and then the other, so she was kneeling over him, straddling his legs. He kept his hands to his side, not daring to touch her. "You don't believe me?" She lowered her hips until she was sitting on his thighs. She was still holding his head, her hands in his hair. She hadn't taken her eyes off his.

He finally lost the battle, and his hands went to her waist. "I think you've made me forget the question." She just watched him, waiting for an answer. He took a deep breath and answered her honestly. "I think you want this as much as I do, if that's possible. I know you are not going to play games, or purposefully do anything that would jeopardize what we have built over the past three years..."

"Purposefully?"

"...but, this is all happening very fast. I want you to make sure that there is not some part of you that is going to resent me for getting in the way of you recapturing what you and Blake had before. I've heard from some pretty reliable sources that the two of you were pretty amazing together."

"Angela has a big mouth, and a romantic streak a mile wide." She leaned forward, touching her forehead to his. "What Blake and I had was over a long time ago. I still feel guilty about it, and sad, but more than anything, it scares me that feelings as strong as ours were, could just go away, like a puff of smoke." Her hands slipped from his hair, around his neck, and to the front of his shirt. She grasped his shirt collar. "I am absolutely sure there will be no regrets from me about moving on. I can't make promises for Blake, but I can tell you that he expected this...us to happen eventually. We talked about it when he came over the other night. He wishes us the best. He is not going to try to come between us."

His hands slipped under the hem of her shirt, resting against the bare skin of her waist. "I'm not worried about Blake, as long as you are sure..."

"Do I look like I am having any reservations about where this is going." She couldn't help but grin at him, raising her eyebrows.

He ran his hands up her sides and around her back, feeling her shiver, and chill bumps rise on her bare skin under his fingers. He lightly brushed his fingertips down the indentation of her spine. She took a deep breath, and with shaky fingers, started unbuttoning his shirt. She opened three buttons, and leaned forward to trail kisses along his neck, collar bone, and chest. When all the buttons were undone, and his shirt lie open, she traced the palm of her hands over his muscled chest and abdomen. She tilted her head to the side, watching him close and taking a few calming breaths. He put his hands over hers, stilling them, wanting to tell her they were moving too fast, that things were going to get carried away, but not having the willpower to say the words and risk her actually stopping.

"I want you to touch me. We have waited so long..." Her voice was barely a whisper. She leaned forward, brushing her lips over his. She was tingling all over. Every time she made contact with him, it was like an electric force was passing through her body, making it come alive. She pressed her lips against his, their breaths mingling together, her tongue slowly tracing his bottom lip. Her breaths were becoming moans as he darted his tongue out to stroke hers. He tangled his hands in her hair, holding her close to him. Her hands slid up his chest to rest on his face.

"Booth..." His name came out as a half sigh, half moan, and he recognized that she was getting as lost as he was. He couldn't resist touching her any longer. He let go of her hair, running the back of his hand across her face, down her neck, and over the swell of her breast. He slid his hand under her thin sweater, covering her breast with his hand, feeling the hard bud against the palm of his hand. He held her in his hand, brushing his thumb over the erect peak. Her kisses became more frantic, mouths sliding over one another, tongues meeting and tasting. "Oh god... Booth..." She pulled back reluctantly, but he kept stroking her, teasing her until she was writhing under his touch. She supported her weight on her hands against Booth's chest. She moaned again. "Seeley... If you don't stop..."

He whispered, between shallow breaths, "What's wrong?" He couldn't help teasing her, anything to get his mind off what she was doing to him. "Whatever it is, must be good, because you never use my first name." He slid his hand inside her bra, feeling her bare skin against his hand. She whimpered against his mouth. "Temperance..." He took a steadying breath, flashing her his patented charm smile. "We haven't even made it past first base." He caught her taut nipple between his fingers, squeezing gently.

"If you don't stop..." The words came out on a breath. She was panting, nearing the edge, and trying to pull away from the onslaught of senses taking over her body. She looked up at him with wide eyes. He put both hands on her hips, sliding her forward, closing the gap between their bodies. Her center was resting firmly against the throbbing bulge encased in his jeans, telling her that he was being affected by these new sensations between them as much as she was. He held her still against him.

"I am... so close." Her breath was coming in short gasps.

He held her face in his hands, amazed at how beautiful she was. "I'm not planning on stopping you..." He barely touched his lips to hers, and he saw her eyes close, heard her call his name, and felt a tremor run through her body. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her closer. "Open your eyes. Look at me." His eyes locked with hers as waves of pleasure rolled over her. He was overwhelmed as a jolt of emotion hit him, like he had never experienced before. He couldn't say anything. There were no words for what he was feeling.

She rested her forehead against his shoulder. "That did not just happen..."

He slid a hand down low on her hip and pressed her flush against him. He could still feel the heat radiating from her, surrounding him, keeping his erection painfully present. "Do you know how beautiful you are when you are having your way with me?"

She groaned against his shoulder. "Oh, God. You are never going to let me forget this, are you?"

"Are you kidding? That was absolutely, no contest, the sexiest thing I have ever experienced. I will definitely not be forgetting it anytime soon."

"I thought you didn't believe in absolutes?"

********************************

**A/N: I'm not sure why I always make them couch potatoes when they are not working. I guess the couch is my diner. I thought it was time for a little rated R smut while I take time to gather my thoughts for future chapters! Next chapter we will find out what Blake wants...promise.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I got kind of...carried away last chapter, and I forgot to have Blake interupt them with another phone call like I had originally planned. Oh well, I like it better this way. We'll make Blake go away for good soon, so don't worry. I really like him though... _*whines and pouts*_**

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"I am going to grab a shower first." Booth grinned at her, and waggled his eyebrows. "I remembered my sleepover bag this time." He dropped a kiss on top of her head, leaving her to turn off lights, lock doors, and shut things down for the night.

Brennan put the dishes in the sink, and headed for the bathroom when she heard the shower shut off. Her phone rang as she shut the door to her bedroom. Hearing the phone ring, Booth came out of the bathroom. He was wearing a towel low around his waste, and dripping on her carpet. She glared at him and picked up the extension on the night stand. "Hello?"

"Hi, Blake... No, we are still up." She sat cross legged on top of the covers, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder. She watched Booth lather up to shave, standing bare chested at the sink in pajama pants.

"I know. We have been tying up the loose ends of an investigation. I haven't had time to return messages." She was watching him intently, when he turned and caught her staring. "So you have things tied up with the club?" She just raised her eyebrows, smiling.

"Tomorrow? No, I don't think we can make it. We've been so busy with work, we haven't really had much time to ourselves." She noted that Booth had finished shaving, and was now brushing his teeth.

"Booth has made plans for us for tomorrow night. He won't tell me what they are, so I don't know if we will have time to stop by." He turned off the bathroom light, and climbed onto the bed, sitting behind her and pulling her back against his chest.

"You are probably right, but.... OK, I'll check with him." He was playing with her hair, gathering it into a pony tail.

"Blake, if we don't see you, have a safe trip back, and good luck...with everything." Booth placed a kiss on the back of her neck. "I know. Take care."

She pulled away from him and headed for the bathroom to take her turn in the shower. She felt him watching her, and she stopped to face him. "Blake is finished with the club, he's moving back home on Sunday. He wants us to come to the club tomorrow night to say goodbye. He thinks we need to talk."

"Maybe he's right. Maybe a little closure would be good for everybody. I can juggle our plans a little."

"Are you sure?" She leaned against the door frame.

"Yes. I think it's a good idea. Maybe not the ending I had planned for our Real Date, but let's do it."

She just smiled at him, and went to take her turn in the shower.

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Booth was laying on his back, Brennan snuggled up to his side, her head on his chest. "Booth?" She whispered, not wanting to wake him if he was sleeping. He murmered something sleepily. "Thank you for understanding, for sticking it out through all of the curves I keep throwing at you."

"Was that a baseball metaphor, Bones?" He hugged her closer.

"You must be rubbing off on me... I mean it Booth, thank you." She placed a kiss on his chest, and closed her eyes, smiling in the darkness. "Can you give me a hint?"

"Not a chance. Go to sleep. You'll find out tomorrow evening."

"That is a really long time... Good night, Booth."

He grinned to himself, and kissed her hair. "'Night, Bones."

The following morning, Booth woke up first. He lay quietly, watching Brennan sleep beside him. The bright morning sunshine was cast over her, lighting up her hair, and making her bare skin glow.

"I can't sleep while you are watching me like that." She draped an arm over her eyes to shade the sun.

"I can't sleep with you looking so beautiful so close to me." He kissed her briefly, untangling himself from her limbs, and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Where are you going?" She wrapped her hand around his upper arm.

"First coffee, then I have things to do before I pick you up this evening."

"For our date..." She rolled her eyes.

"A little enthusiasm please."

"It's just... not necessary." Suddenly she was serious. "Do you feel like we are doing everything out of order?"

"It depends on what playbook you are following. We have to do what works for us. About tonight... I know it seems that we are way past that stage. We are already past the fact finding first date. We have been through so much together, in a lot of ways we know each other as well as we know ourselves. But this is important to me. I don't want us to miss anything." He put a hand on her pajama clad thigh. "This is the beginning, tonight, officially, of this new part of our lives. Well, at least for me. One of us got a sneak peak last night." She slapped him in the arm, and he stood up, throwing the covers at her.

After Booth left, Brennan was having a hard time finding things to occupy her afternoon. She promised not to go to the lab, so she was facing several empty hours alone. She almost hugged Angela when she showed up at her door after lunch. "Hey sweetie. I heard you have big plans tonight." Angela hugged her. "I am so happy for you. I thought you might need some help."

"With what?"

"Your hair, make up, clothes, lingerie... You know, preparations."

Brennan looked at the huge bag that Angela plopped on the table, and tilted her head thoughtfully. "Would this take up... three and a half hours?"

"Possibly."

"Then let's prepare."

Angela clapped, and grabbed Brennan's arm in one hand, and her bag in the other. She led Brennan to the kitchen. "This room has the best light."


	8. Chapter 8

Brennan opened the door, and was staring into a huge bouquet of yellow daffodils. She tilted her head to peak around them. Booth was standing at the end of the outstretched arm, sporting his cheekiest grin ever, and looking sexy in his snug fitting shirt and dinner jacket. "Would you and the flowers like to come inside?"

"We would." His grin slipped away when he looked at her. "Wow. Bones. You look... amazing." Her dress was simple and sleek, showing a little cleavage and a lot of bare back. Her hair was pinned up loosely, and her make up was done so her eyes never looked bigger, or bluer.

"Really?" She smoothed her hands over the skirt of her dress. She thanked him for the flowers, and slowly went about the task of putting them in a vase. She turned to him, with an uncertain expression on her features. "I have a confession. I am really nervous about this. You would think we have never been out in public together."

"Good, that makes two of us... Ready?" He held out his hand, and she slipped hers into it.

"Ready."

They enjoyed a beautiful dinner at a romantic restaurant. They talked and laughed, and enjoyed being out of their element. It presented sides of their personalities that the other had never explored. Booth got to truly show off his charm skills, making sure to open every door, holding her hand at every opportunity, standing whenever she took her seat. He told her animated stories of him and his family in Philadelphia, and she watched his features soften as he told her stories of Parker. Brennan had never laughed so much, and he had never seen her so relaxed. The no nonsense Dr. Brennan was gone, and was replaced by a sexy, uninhibited, funny woman with sparkling eyes and a quick wit.

The waitress appeared with the desert tray, and Booth asked for the check and made a special request of two deserts 'to go'. Brennan gave him a suspicious look, and asked what he was up to. All she got in response was, "you will see".

Twenty minutes later, they pulled up in front of his apartment building. Instead of opening the door, she waited for him to come around. She was still looking at him curiously when he opened the door and leaned toward her. "Do you want to come up? I've got a surprise for you."

She rolled her eyes at him. "How many times have I heard that line?"

He kissed her firmly on the lips, and leaned over her to get the package of deserts the restaurant had wrapped up for them. "Like I said before, a little enthusiasm please. Are you coming?" He held the door open wider, and she followed him out of the car and up to his apartment.

She stood in the middle of his apartment, watching him gathering things into a basket, that he had set aside on his kitchen table; a blanket, candles, glasses and a bottle of wine, . He tilted his head, motioning for her to follow him. He started toward his bedroom and noticed she was not following. "What are you doing?"

He made an exaggerated motion again with his head. "Only one way to find out." She shook her head at all the mystery, but followed his lead. "You might want to take off your shoes. It could be kind of tricky in those."

"OK. I am intrigued. What kind of surprises do you have hidden in your bedroom?"

He just lifted his eyebrows. "That, my darling, is for another time. Tonight..." He pointed up. "...we are going up there."

She rolled her eyes, and followed the path of his finger, until she was looking up at the ceiling. "Up...where?" She watched as he opened the large window near his bed. He put one foot out the window, into what looked like complete darkness, and sat the basket down. "What are you doing?"

He ducked through the window and eased his other leg through. "It's safe... see." He jumped up and down once or twice, making a loud echoing noise, and bringing her rushing to the window. "Could you hand me that please?" She lifted the box and shoved it through the window, still looking at him like he had gone insane. "I'll be right back."

"Wait a minute. Where are you going?" She was shifting nervously from one foot to the other. She kicked off her shoes, and carefully stepped through the window. It was a small cramped fire escape, that creaked and groaned under their combined weight. It felt sturdy enough, despite it's rusty and aging appearance. "Are you sure this is safe?"

"Just follow me, and watch your step." When they got to the top, he climbed over the ledge, and sat down his basket. He held out a hand for her, and helped her over. They both stood looking around them. Brennan did a full turn, taking in the view.

"This is really...breathtaking." They were standing on the roof of his building. It was completely quiet and they were surrounded by stars, and a gentle breeze. The capitol skyline could be seen in the far distance.

"I come up here when I need to think. It's peaceful." He took a blanket out of the basket and wrapped it around her shoulders. The space was empty, except for a lounge chair and a low table. He lit the candles and put them on the table, along with the desert and the wine.

Her eyes were teasing. "You've done this before."

"Here? No. This is my own private place. I am the only one that comes up here, and you are the only one I have ever brought with me." He sat down on the chaise lounge, leaning forward with one foot on the floor on either side. He patted the cushion in front of him. "It's even quieter when you are sitting. Stop looking at me like I am crazy, and come over here."

Brennan lowered herself into the seat in front of him. She settled herself between his legs, stretching hers out in front of her. Booth reclined back against the back of the chair, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back with him, as he swung his legs up onto the cushion on either side of her legs. She snuggled deeper into his chest, pulling the blanket around her bare arms. She turned her head into his neck, breathing in the scent of his aftershave. She placed a soft kiss on the pulse at the side of his neck. "Thank you....for tonight, and for bringing me up here."

He rested his cheek on top of her head, and whispered, "You're welcome." They stayed like that for a long time, neither wanting to let go. Eventually he pulled himself away from her, pouring the wine and opened the box of chocolate cake and fresh strawberries. She pulled her legs up in front of her, sitting cross legged on the lounge. She dropped the blanket from her shoulders and laid it across her lap. He handed her a glass of wine, and sat in front of her, facing her with his legs on either side of the chair. He put the plate between them.

"No pie?"

"I told them how you feel about cooked fruit..." He picked up one of the strawberries, bit off the end, and dropped it into his wine glass, and then did the same to hers. "Cake?" He held out a fork full, moving it closer to her mouth. She was watching him, intrigued by this side of him that she was seeing tonight. She took the bite that he offered, still leaning forward, her forearms rested on her knees. She refused the next, "Are you sure?"

She didn't say anything, just watched as he practically cleaned the plate. He washed it down with a drink of wine, then stuck his fingers inside the glass, fishing out the strawberry. He held it out for her, the wine dripping through his fingers, and disappearing into the sleeve of his jacket. She never took her eyes off of him as she licked the wine from the berry, and then darted her tongue between his fingers and down his palm to remove the rest of the sweet liquid from his hands. She finally plucked the berry from between his fingers, and as she finished chewing, she reached into her glass and grasped the strawberry. She sunk her teeth into the end of it, leaning closer, until the tip of the berry was barely touching his lips. She stroked it against his mouth once, coaxing his tongue out once to lick the berry, and again to lick the wine from her chin and lips.

Booth bit into the strawberry, their lips touching. Brennan slowly leaned back, drawing him forward, until he was suspended over her. She released the berry from her teeth, and he drew it into his mouth. She stretched out, and he settled himself on top of her, supporting his weight on his forearms, filling all the area that was left on the chaise lounge.

He captured her mouth under his, kissing and stroking the inside of her mouth with his tongue. He was caught up in the swirl of feelings that being this close to her invoked, oblivious to the fact that Brennan's hands had stilled under his jacket. He slid the length of his body down hers, enough to make her neck accessible to the explorations of his mouth, then slid back up to explore her mouth again. Her hands had been pushed from his chest, and were trapped at her sides under the weight of his body, triggering her first wave of panic. She thrashed her head from side to side, breaking the contact of his mouth, only to have him bury his face in her neck. She still couldn't move, and couldn't form the words to make him understand that she needed him to stop. She forced her hands free and wedged them back up through their intertwined bodies, wrapping them around his forearms, and trying to push him up. "Stop it." Her voice broke, and nothing legible formed. Tears of frustration were surfacing. She struggled to remain calm. "Seeley. Please. You need to stop."

Her nails were biting into his arms. He looked around, thinking somebody had intruded in their space, and then immediately realized what she was trying to tell him. He scrambled up, taking her hand and pulling her up with him. "Oh, God. Baby, I am so sorry." She was standing in front of him, but she wouldn't look up and meet his eyes. He bent down, eye to eye. "I was not thinking..."

"It's fine. I'm fine."

He put his hands around her face. "That's why you are shaking, and crying. You don't look fine." She pulled away from him, backing up, and then turning to walk toward the ladder. "Temperance, don't do this. Don't leave. I should have realized what was happening, but it was the furthest thing from my mind. I am so sorry." She stopped at the edge of the roof top, above the ladder.

"Don't you understand? It's not you. It has nothing to do with you."

"It's just you and me up here, Bones. Nothing else, no one else. Come sit down and talk to me, or yell at me, but please don't run away and leave it like this." He caught up with her, and shrugged his jacket off, draping it around her shoulders. She didn't turn, or say anything at first.

"I am not leaving. I am just angry with myself, and disappointed, and embarrassed."

He put his hands on her shoulders. "That makes two of us. You did everything right. You were upfront from the beginning about your fears. I am the one that messed up." His voice was low, almost a whisper. He took a step closer, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her shoulder. "...and I'm sorry, but that doesn't mean we won't keep trying, and maybe it will take a while, and maybe it won't, but eventually we'll figure it out, or it just won't matter anymore."

She turned in his arms and buried her face in his chest. "Can we just forget about it for now? Finish our date?"

He slid his arms inside his jacket and around her waist. "Do you still want to go to Blake's?"

"Yes. We promised everyone. Let's get it over with. Tell Blake goodbye and wish him luck."

**A/N: Have I covered all the Bones cliches? Thai food...check, charm smile...check, daffodils...check, pie...check. I'll have to remember to throw in an Angela squeal, and some Parker cuteness, and maybe an 'I don't know what that means' for good measure. **


	9. Chapter 9

Angela and Hodgins intercepted Booth and Brennan as they came in the door. Angela was in their faces immediately. "It's about time, kids. We thought you found something more entertaining to do." She looked back and forth between them. "Hey, Brennan, come with me. You look tired. I can fix that." Angela patted the side of her bag.

"I am tired. It's late."

Angela pulled on Brennan's arm, until she gave in and followed. When they were apart from the guys, Angela turned to her. "What the hell happened? The two of you look...tense."

"Nothing happened, Angela. We had the perfect evening... until we got back to his place, which was even more perfect, then I ruined everything."

"I'm sure you didn't, Bren. Tell me about it." They walked into the bathroom, and locked themselves in the large stall at the end.

Brennan leaned against the closed door, speaking in a whisper. "I couldn't do it. I was scared, exactly like I knew it would be. I warned him, and then I thought I was fine with it, and then I realized I wasn't."

Angela's eyes got wide. "You didn't hit him, did you?"

"No, but up until that moment, things were perfect. We were both swept up in it. When I shoved him away... I don't think he knew what the hell I was scared of. He was looking around, reaching for his gun. Then the look on his face when he realized it was him that I was afraid of..."

"Wait just a minute, Sweetie. It is not Booth you are afraid of. You know that he would never hurt you. You are afraid of being afraid. You don't want that part of your life , the part that ruined things with Blake, to touch what you have with Booth, so you are trying to keep yourself away from that situation. Make sure Booth knows that. Please."

"Angela, how do you know these things?"

"It's a gift...and a curse. Let's get back to the guys."

Blake met up with Brennan and Angela as they were leaving the bathroom. "I was wondering if you guys were going to make it." He gave each of them a hug.

"Oh, they were making it alright..." Angela winked at Blake.

"Angela, what is wrong with you?"

"I can't be happy for you? I have been waiting for this ever since... ever since I gave up on you two."

"Angela!" She turned back to Blake. "I'm sorry. She has obviously been sampling the pink drinks again."

"So the two of you..." He lifted his eyebrows.

"I feel really uncomfortable discussing this with you." She smiled at him, then looked down at the floor.

"Maybe if I leave..." Angela backed away, and left all the tension she created, turning to head back to Booth and Jack.

They stood by themselves now, facing each other. He nudged her playfully. "I was going to say, so the two of you are together now?"

"Yes, not that it hasn't been a challenge so far." She gave him a look, and he immediately understood.

"...and my being here probably hasn't helped much. I'll be out of here tomorrow. We need to talk about the cabin sometime. I'm going to start living there again. I should buy out your half."

She shook her head. "It's not necessary..."

"We don't have to discuss it now. I'll have my people call your people."

She laughed, and then looked at him seriously. "Did you ever think, when we bought that place, we would be having this discussion."

"Of course not."

She looked up at him and something told him she was about to put his resolve to a test. She had the same determined look he remembered when she had her mind set to something. "Where do you think we would be today if... if things were different back then... if that night never happened?"

She saw him flinch a little at the question. "Let's not go there."

"Because I wonder about it."

"That's something we will never know. Maybe we would still be living back in that little cabin, makin' love every night, and doing the jobs we love every day. Or maybe that is just a fairy tail, and in reality we would be living in that little cabin going crazy, me trying to figure out how many miles and how many days away from you I am, and you are sitting there resenting me for not being there and for keeping you away from the career and the life you really want. There is no way to know."

Brennan hugged him. "I'm sorry, for whatever we missed out on. But I know one thing. I feel like I belong here now. I can't see myself anyplace else."

He kissed her on the cheek, and said, "Then I am happy for you. Why don't you introduce me to your partner?"

Angela and Jack headed toward the bar as Brennan and Blake approached Booth. Introductions were made, and hands were offered and shook. Both men were tall, and stood face to face, warm brown eyes meeting cool blue.

Blake was the first to break the silence. "I've heard a lot about you. It's good to finally meet you." He was dressed casually, in old jeans and a crisp white dress shirt, untucked and unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled up to reveal a barbed wire tattoo on his forearm. "I know I've dropped in at a bad time. It was never my intention to intrude on what you two are trying to figure out. Just ask Bren, I called this a long time ago. I've just been wondering when she would catch up to it."

"Then why come here? Why now?"

"Honestly, because I sensed that things were changing, and there were a few things I needed to be sure of."

"Such as?" He stood his ground, not letting Blake's direct approach throw him off.

Brennan could feel the tension building in the air around them. She watched Booth's face and the determination of his features. He looked like someone who knew he was about to fight a losing battle, but was resolved to trudge along the path to destruction anyway. She reached out and put a hand on his arm. "Booth..."

"What? He invited us both here. He has something to say that he wants both of us to hear." He didn't look at her.

She slid her hand down into his, and waited for him to accept it. She saw him swallow hard, and felt him squeeze her hand. He finally glanced at her, and she thought she saw a tiny glimmer of relief in his eyes.

"There is something I want you to know." He looked at Brennan briefly, and then back at Booth. "I also wanted you to be here, just so we all understand each other. Seeing Temperance this happy, in contrast with the person that left almost four years ago, tells me that we did the right thing, made the right choices." He turned back to Brennan. "I loved you. I did not want to lose you. I did not want you to go. I just wanted what was best for you, for us. I thought you would be back. I did not count on you falling in love with your work, making new friends, forging a connection with the new man in your life. Things obviously did not turn out the way I'd hoped, but they worked out for you. So I may have lost, but I also won."

She only smiled at him, knowing that they were in agreement. Blake shook Booth's hand, and told him honestly, "I don't have to tell you that you are the real winner."

"No, you don't."

After their goodbyes were said, Brennan leaned against Booth. "Do you want to go now?"

"No, I want to dance with you first."

The events of the past hours and days were starting to wear Brennan down. When Booth finally coaxed her out to the dance floor, she vowed to not think of anything the rest of the night except the person who had his arms wrapped around her. She rested her head on his shoulder, taking in his smell, and the still unfamiliar feeling of being in his arms. "I don't want to ruin this."

He could feel her breath on the bare skin of his neck. "I keep telling you. You worry too much. The past is just the past." He picked up a stray lock of hair and wrapped it around his finger before tucking it behind her ear.

Angela and Jack were sitting at a table near the dance floor. She couldn't stop smiling. "Would you just look at them? They are so adorable. When I am right, I am so right."

Jack only shook his head. "You are aware that you have an unhealthy fascination with their relationship, right? Shouldn't you be focusing on other things? Like me?" He raised lifted his eyebrows at her suggestively. The act was apparently lost on her.

"Do you think they will make it? They have some oversize baggage to contend with. I'm scared for her."

"Babe, she is in good hands, literally. Speaking of hands..." He reached across the table and intertwined his with hers. "How long do we have to stay?

"You're right. I know you're right."

Brennan lifted her head from his shoulder, and looked up at him. "I am scared...that there are too many obstacles to get over. I am afraid that you are going to lose patience..."

He dipped his head down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "That is not going to happen. If people wouldn't think we were weird, I could stay like this all the time."

"You say that now. You didn't feel that way at your place earlier."

"I am not going anywhere. We will figure this out." He put his hands on her face and looked into her eyes. "I have waited three years to get to this point. Trust me... I have patience." He still saw the doubt and worry in her eyes. He sighed. "What do I have to do to prove it to you?"

Her voice was barely a whisper. "I love you. Don't give up on me."

His breath caught when her words registered. His hands dropped from her face and went around her, pulling her closer to him. He tangled one of his hands in her hair. He realized that this was a new habit of his. He couldn't keep from touching her hair, feeling it between his fingers and curling around his palm. "That is never...ever going to happen. I can promise you that, and you have to promise me the same. If things get difficult or complicated, or overwhelming, you have to talk to me. You can't give up on me either. We have to figure this out together...........Did you just tell me you loved me?"

"I did."

"Thank you, for trusting me with that. You are a very surprising woman."


	10. Chapter 10

Brennan found Angela in her office. When the artist did not notice her standing in the doorway, she cleared her throat.

Angela looked up calmly. "You're in early. Why are you in early?" She put down what she was working on and leaned back in her chair.

"I told him I loved him, Ange."

"I am honestly not surprised. I knew there was serious talk going on out there. And?" She looked at the strain apparent on Brennan's face, and realized there was a problem. She thought to herself that being the self appointed guardian of their coupling was becoming a very time intensive job. "Sweetie, what did he say?"

"He thanked me, and told me I was surprising..." Brennan said it matter-of-factly, but her best friend could tell that she was hurt.

"That's it? I mean, that is very polite, and accurate, but....nothing else?" She was already formulating her plan of action for when she talked some sense into Booth.

"I think I scared him Ange. It was too soon, and there is too much we have to work out still."

"Do you love him?"

"Yes."

"...then it is absolutely not too soon. I watched you guys out there, so much that I scared Jack a little. He loves you. He does. Maybe he just wanted his own thunder, you know? Maybe you stole his, and he didn't want to just finish with a 'me too'. That has to be it." She could see that she was getting through to her, that she had erased a little bit of doubt. She thought to herself that for Booth's sake, that had better be the explanation.

"Ange, are you sure?"

Angela stood up and hugged her friend. "I am so sure that I am starting to scare myself a little. I know you guys way to well."

Booth was waiting in her office when she and Angela finished talking. She sees Booth at her desk through the open blinds of her office windows. She stops at the door, and leans against the frame.

"That was some date."

"I feel like I need to keep apologizing." She looks down.

"You don't." He was leaning back in her chair, his feet on the corner of her desk. There was a long silence.

"Get your feet off my desk." She walked into her office and sat her files on her desk.

He dropped his feet to the floor, still reclining back in her chair. "Yes, ma'am."

She stood in front of her desk with her arms folded across her chest. "Can I have my chair back, please?"

"I am willing to share."

"I am trying to work, Booth."

"It's Saturday, Bones. Take the day off." He grinned at her, patting his lap.

She shook her head. "I have things to do, and I told you..." She motioned between them. "...this can't effect our work."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You are avoiding me. You practically threw me out of your place last night, and this morning you were already gone at daybreak when I tried to bring you coffee. Now you are trying to throw me out of your office?"

"I am not avoiding you. I just need some space."

"Space?" He felt his his chest tighten, and he struggled to convey his fears to her. "Space is not a request that I feel comfortable with." He got up and moved across her office, closing blinds as he went.

"What are you doing?"

He closed her office door, and turned to face her again. "Space is what you ask for when you are looking for a way out. Space is not something you request when things are going as they should."

"I just need time to figure things out, because I don't know if you've noticed, but things are definitely not going as they should." She sat on the edge of her desk.

"Space and time are very different things. Take all the time you need, but don't shut me out. You asked me last night to not give up on you. Don't make me think you are giving up on us. Last night was incredible. It may have had a few bumps and curves, but it is something we needed to do. It was a beginning."

"I can't ask you to keep hanging on to this roller coaster ride."

"You don't have to ask." He crossed the room and leaned his hip against her desk. "Let's get out of here. Let's take the weekend. We can just get away from everything for a while."

"Where would we go?" She found his enthusiasm contagious. She tilted her head to watch him.

"Anywhere. We'll stop by your place, grab a bag, and start driving."

Brennan smiled at the idea, and slid off her desk, walking past him to lock the door. "I really do have some work to finish, but..." She leaned back against the door. "Since we were both up early, and I didn't sleep much last night, I could take a couple of hours for a nap, if you would like to join me? And then after I finish up in the lab, I can come by your place. We can hide out for the rest of the weekend?"

"That sounds like an even better plan." Booth sat on her sofa, and kicked off his shoes. Brennan dropped her lab coat on the hook, and sat down next to him, slipping her shoes off. He stretched out, pulling her down with him. "You know. It's going to drive Angela crazy that we are in here with the doors locked." She turned to face him, laying her head on his shoulder, and threading one leg through his. He pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and pulled it over them.

"I should turn my cell phone off, she'll call." She yawned, and snuggled in close to him. She looked up to find him watching her. "You were right about last night being a beginning. I talked to Angela, about what happened on your roof, and she made me realize something. It was something I already knew, but I didn't realize the importance until she brought it up."

He smoothed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear.

Brennan rolled on her back to get a better look at him. "I know it seemed like it, but it was not you I was afraid of. It was the situation. When I realized how close you were, and I couldn't move, I was so afraid of being hurdled back through time, seeing his face again, reliving those memories. I didn't want those memories, nightmares, to become entangled in our intimate lives. I've learned first hand what that can do to a relationship. Am I making any sense?"

He propped himself up on one elbow. "You are afraid that if you let me get too close, it will trigger bad memories. You don't want those horrible images associated with us." He rested on hand along the side of her face. She only nodded in agreement. "You making two huge assumptions. First, you are assuming that you will have the same reaction you had with Blake. You have to remember it wasn't me there in bed with you when they were hurting you. It wasn't my face that you were forced to look at. That is something that was contrived for no other purpose than to keep hurting you, long after they were gone."

"Second?" Tears of gratitude were stinging her eyes. She was relieved that he understood what she had had thought to be her irrational fear.

"Your second assumption is that if you did have the same reaction, that it would be the beginning of the end. I say, bring it on. We've dodged bullets before, and we've only become stronger, closer. I know we can make it through this. You just have to have the same faith."

"I did not give us a chance to see what the outcome would be, to see if it is all in the past, or if it is going to impact our future. I'm sorry if I can't be more optimistic right now. I guess I'm just tired."

"We'll figure it out." He kissed her on the cheek, and wrapped his arms around her, snuggling his face into her neck. "Let's just sleep right now."

Angela and Cam stood outside Brennan's door. They kept their voices to a whisper. Cam spoke up first, trying to snatch the key out of Angela's fingers. "I just want to go on record as saying I do not endorse or recommend this."

"Oh give it a rest. If you weren't curious, you wouldn't have followed me here. They've been in there two hours, lights off, blinds drawn, door locked."

"Curious? No. It doesn't take much imagination to know what is going on in there."

Angela put the key in the lock quietly. "I don't want to know in some vague sense. I want to get the full multi-sensory broadcast."

"You really are quite... invested in them, aren't you?"

"I know. It kind of creeps me out too." She twisted the door knob and pushed it open slowly and quietly. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the light. When she saw them she had to clap her hand over her mouth to diminish the cry of happiness and completion she felt at the sight of them curled around each other and sleeping peacefully on the sofa.

Cam carefully peaked around Angela's shoulder. "I don't hear any cursing or shouting, so I am assuming it is safe?" The anxiety on her face softened into a small smile, and she patted Angela on the shoulder. "Job well done, Angela. You should be proud."

Angela gently and quietly pulled the door closed. "I guess they can take it from here."

**A/N: One more chapter left! Thanks for sticking with me this long.**


	11. Chapter 11

Booth woke up first, and gently removed himself from the tangle of limbs and blankets that they had become. He replaced a pillow under her head where his chest used to be, and stood up, stretching his muscles and joints, which were complaining from being compacted on the tiny couch for so long. He scribbled a note reminding her not to work late, and put it on her pillow. He brushed her hair back and bent down to place a kiss on her forehead, pulling the blanket back over her.

The door closed quietly behind him as he walked down the near empty halls. He passed Angela's office, and stuck his head in. "I should have known that you would have a key and no qualms about using it."

"Oh. You saw that. Sorry." She grinned sheepishly at him. "Where is Sleeping Beauty anyway?"

"Sleeping. Can you wake her up in a few minutes, and make sure she's gone before you leave?"

"OK."

"And call me when she leaves?"

"OK. Anything else?"

He flashed a smile at her, and held out his hand.

"Right." She took the key out of her desk drawer, and dropped it in his hand. He dropped the key into his pocket, and turned to go. "You two finally figured it out. I am happy for you guys."

"You've made that pretty clear."

---------------------------------------

"You're here earlier than I thought." Booth kissed Brennan and took her bag.

"You're cooking."

"Yeah, we have to eat right?" He motioned for her to sit down, and dropped her bag in his room. "I figured you haven't had much to eat today."

"No, actually I haven't. I was kind of in a hurry to get out of the lab." She took a chair at the counter where she could talk to him while he was moving about the kitchen.

"That doesn't sound like my Bones." He slid an omelet onto her plate. "Leaving the lab early, taking the weekend off..." He leaned over the counter with his forearms resting on the table.

"You have never left 'your Bones' sleeping alone on a pillow that smells like you. I spent half the day wondering what you were doing, and the other half thinking about the weekend." She pointed her fork at him. "You are definitely a bad influence." He just watched her as she focused her attention back to her dinner. He tried unsuccessfully to keep from grinning madly. He had a feeling she knew she just rendered him speechless. "Are you eating, or are you just going to watch me?"

He ignored her question. "So you thought about me today?" He leaned closer, waiting for her to look up again.

"Once or twice... This is really good. You should have some. I didn't know you could cook."

"They're eggs, Bones. Anyone can cook eggs, and I already ate. I'll just watch you." She furrowed her eyebrows, looking at him curiously. "So when you were thinking about me today... what were you thinking?"

She stole another glance at him, and ignored his question, finishing the last bit of egg and cheese, and standing up to put her plate in the sink. She turned and leaned against the sink. "I was thinking that I never used to sleep better with somebody else in my bed, I used to sleep better alone. I was thinking that I have waken a few times to an empty bed, and before this morning, it never really disappointed me that much. I've never really spent the day noticing their smell on my clothes, and wanting the real thing."

He took her into his arms, holding her close. "If you only knew what I feel when I hold you this way, you wouldn't have any question of how long I would wait for things to fall into place." He saw a flicker of doubt in her eyes, but understood that he had plenty of time to convince her. He smiled at her mischieviously, raising his eyebrows. "I went shopping."

"I'm afraid to ask..."

"Do you want to take a bath?"

She was still looking at him skeptically. "I'm not sure..."

He took her hand, pulling her into his bedroom. He raised his hands innocently. "Just a bath. I know you like to clean up, unwind, after being at the lab all day."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't know. You probably mentioned it." He could see she wasn't buying it. "Or I may have noticed that a lot of evenings, when I came over after work, your hair is still damp and you smell like flowery bubble bath."

She smiled at him. "Very observant..."

"Just doing my job.... You stay here. I'll get it going." He turned back before disappearing into the bathroom. "The bottom drawer is empty, if you want to put your stuff away. He shut the door behind him, and she heard the water running. She smiled to herself as she unpacked the few things in her bag.

She pushed the door open slowly and saw him sitting on the edge of the tub with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Ready?"

She took in everything around her and felt her eyes filling with tears. Their were candles burning around the bathtub, a glass of wine, a red rose, and the scent of her favorite bath fragrance was floating up on the steam rising from the hot water. She picked up the bottle near the faucet. "More detective work?"

"I tried. I had to ask Angela. After you smell a few, they all start smelling alike."

"Thank you." She kissed him softly.

"You're welcome. I'll just..." He gestured toward the door.

"No. Stay." She unbuttoned her blouse, sliding it off her shoulders, and then did the same with her pants. She stood before him in her sheer black bra and panties. "Are you going to join me?"

He put his hands on her waist, shaking his head, pulling her closer, and placing a kiss on her stomach. He stood up, holding her at arm's length taking in her uncovered body.

"What's wrong? Not a bath person?"

"Not a contortionist. I would rather watch."

She unhooked her bra and slipped it off, along with her panties, and stepped into the water. She slid under the water until only her head broke through the bubbly surface. Booth sat on the edge of the bathtub, leaning against the wall. He moved the nearby candles to the ledge of the window near the tub. He turned off the lights. The only illumination in the room came from the candles and the occasional flash of distant lightning from the storm outside.

"I know I haven't said it, but I hope you know." His voice was barely a whisper. "I love having you close, and I love knowing that you want me around. I love having you with me when I fall asleep, and knowing you will be there when I wake up. I love that you can make a really rotten day better just by being there. I love knowing that I can make you feel safer just by wrapping my arms around you and holding you, and that you can do the same for me. I love you, and I know the risks involved by taking this step. I know what you went through, and what you gave up to even make any of this possible. I just want you to know that I will do anything, give anything to make this work.

She watched him with wide eyes. A tear slipped out unnoticed. The storm crashed outside, but neither of them was startled by it. She reached a bubbly hand out and wrapped it around his wrist. "I do know. I know that you love me the same way I love you."

Time seemed to stand still as she reached up, pulling him closer. She wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling his face still closer, water dripping around his neck, and down the front of his shirt. She kissed him, leaving no question regarding her feelings.

He supported himself with one arm on the side of the bathtub, holding her face with his other hand. The taste of the wine on her lips, the fragrance of lavender bubbles, and the sight of those bubbles slipping from her body back down into the water were enough to make him feel dizzy. "Are you almost finished in here?"

"What? I haven't even been in here five minutes. I'm just getting started."

"Sometimes I wonder if you realize that everything you say has a double meaning, and one of them always drags my thoughts directly into the gutter." He slipped his hand into her hair.

"I'm not coming out yet. You're already all wet, you might as well just come in." She ran her hand down the front of his shirt.

"See what I mean?" Before he could get out his complaint, she had wound her arm around his neck, and pulled him off the edge of the bathtub. He was unprepared, and splashed down, just as she slid back to make room. Water was displaced, sloshing water and bubbles over the side and onto the floor. He sat stunned and speechless, the only dry part of him, his feet, still hung over the side of the tub.

"I thought you weren't coming in." She was laughing so hard she could barely get the words out. She slid forward, wrapping her legs around him and crossing her ankles in front of him in his lap. She circled her arms around him, pulling him back against her, and leaned against the back of the tub.

"I can't believe you just did that." He leaned his head back on her shoulder, looking up at her.

She slipped her hand inside his shirt, running it across the tight muscles of his chest and abdomen, and tightened the hold of her legs around his waist. She rested her chin on his shoulder. "I asked you nicely first."

Booth couldn't help but laugh as he pulled his feet over the side of the tub and into the water. "You will pay for this." He ran his hands over the length of her legs.

"Just sit back and relax."

"Relax? You're not the one sitting fully clothed in a steaming vat of bubbles." He turned slightly to look at her. "Are you still laughing at me?"

"I'm sorry." She tried unsuccessfully to keep the laughter out of her voice. "You don't think this is the least bit amusing?"

He suddenly flipped himself over, sending more water over the side of the bathtub. He positioned himself over her, his knees against the sides of the tub. With the weight of him gone, she slid further down into the water.

He leaned over, running his hands over her slick body, trailing kisses over her face and neck. Water was dripping from his wet hair and clothes onto her like rain, and she had her hands tangled in his wet shirt holding him close. "I always knew, with you, it would be just like this. I knew that once I got a taste of loving you, I would not want to give it up, and I would not want to be away from you. I probably should have warned you." He smiled at her and touched her face. "I knew it would be this way."

"So you knew too. It seems everybody knew what I was missing out on but me."

**A/N: The End! I actually intended on ending it last chapter, but I realized he never told her he loved her. We can't end the story without that! So, sorry if this chapter kind of missed the flow of the rest of the story. I added it later, after many struggles with it, and after I already started a companion piece, so I was having trouble with the timeline and where to start the next piece. Anyway.... Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


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